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Apr 5, 2010
Some bus drivers ignorant of routes
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I WONDER if bus companies allow their drivers to ply routes without even knowing the names of the roads and landmarks they pass daily.
Let me relate two recent encounters I had with bus drivers who were Chinese nationals, did not understand simple English and were ignorant of the routes they plied.
In the first case - SBS Transit service 151 - I asked if the bus stopped at National Junior College. The driver had difficulty with my query, even though I repeated the location a few times.
The same thing happened on SMRT service 852, when I asked if the bus went to Selegie Road and Peace Centre.
I wonder if the recruitment policies of SBS and SMRT have changed, and drivers are now deployed regardless of their English language ability and knowledge of their routes. Surely a bus driver is not only able to move a bus from point A to point B?
Having said that, my encounters with other bus drivers have been more satisfying. Some even suggest alternative bus services if theirs do not take me to my destination. Others remind me to get off at the right stop. And not forgetting those who greet commuters and wait for slower passengers at bus stops.
If bus companies have trouble hiring drivers, perhaps it is time to improve their pay. It is better to cut costs by, say, going green than hiring drivers who hurt service quality.
Wong Kit Peng (Ms)
Some bus drivers ignorant of routes
<!-- by line --><!-- end by line -->
<!-- end left side bar --><!-- story content : start -->
I WONDER if bus companies allow their drivers to ply routes without even knowing the names of the roads and landmarks they pass daily.
Let me relate two recent encounters I had with bus drivers who were Chinese nationals, did not understand simple English and were ignorant of the routes they plied.
In the first case - SBS Transit service 151 - I asked if the bus stopped at National Junior College. The driver had difficulty with my query, even though I repeated the location a few times.
The same thing happened on SMRT service 852, when I asked if the bus went to Selegie Road and Peace Centre.
I wonder if the recruitment policies of SBS and SMRT have changed, and drivers are now deployed regardless of their English language ability and knowledge of their routes. Surely a bus driver is not only able to move a bus from point A to point B?
Having said that, my encounters with other bus drivers have been more satisfying. Some even suggest alternative bus services if theirs do not take me to my destination. Others remind me to get off at the right stop. And not forgetting those who greet commuters and wait for slower passengers at bus stops.
If bus companies have trouble hiring drivers, perhaps it is time to improve their pay. It is better to cut costs by, say, going green than hiring drivers who hurt service quality.
Wong Kit Peng (Ms)
